Berhan Şimşek, who missed the application deadline for candidacy, lashes out at Özgür Özel: 'You can announce your presidential candidacy now'

The 21st Extraordinary Congress of the Republican People's Party (CHP) began this morning at 10:00 AM.

While Ümit Uysal, who was a rival to Özel, withdrew his candidacy, the candidacy of Berhan Şimşek, who had announced his bid, was rejected.

Former MP Berhan Şimşek, who announced that his application was not accepted by the Council Presidency because it was 'submitted 5 minutes late,' held a press conference in the congress hall.

"MY FRIENDS ENTERED 5 MINUTES LATE"

Claiming that he came to the congress under great pressure and with great effort, Şimşek said, "My party colleagues are also witnesses; it is impossible to get inside. The friends with me did not have a document, the Headquarters does not provide it, and my friends entered 5 minutes late. It is unbelievable. There are 97 signatures here. I asked the Council President, I said I wanted to speak about the procedure. In the last congress where Özel was elected, the lists were provided four hours later. You will say these are the conditions, an accelerated congress, an accelerated schedule, and an accelerated structure. We make a decision for a congress 15 days in advance, there is a 10-day holiday, and candidates will compete; how will they compete?" he said.

"ÖZGÜR ÖZEL AND THOSE AROUND HIM WERE RUNNING AROUND IN SHORT PANTS"

Criticizing Republican People's Party Chairman Özgür Özel, Şimşek continued his remarks as follows:

"You said, 'I don't have as much comfort as Atatürk.' You tried to ask the Undersecretary of the MIT about the members. You engaged in ridiculous affairs and power plays. You had lights turned on and off in July. His most important proposal was; 'a 1,400 lira bottle of Yeni Rakı will be 140 lira.' There is no end to the gaffes made. We should have shared these with the party organization. If Özel had said at the previous congress, 'I will stand up against Tayyip Erdoğan, I will shake hands with Bahçeli, I will normalize, I will soften,' would the delegates inside have given him 100 votes? My imprisoned friends inside, especially Ekrem, are the result of this normalization and softening.

Why are you afraid to say these things? In all of this, it's a one-sided match, one leader, one list; 'welcome Tayyip Erdoğan.' They have graciously made a blanket list. Until yesterday, you went with a block list. You changed this at the last minute. The CHP is no one's holding company. The CHP organization is no one's sharecropper. This party was not founded just like that, its petition was not submitted to the Ministry of Interior.

In the petition of this party, the blood of our ancestors in Gallipoli, at the Sivas Congress, in the War of Independence, and on the front lines was used as ink. Mr. Özgür Özel, may it be auspicious, I congratulate you. One of the strikers is missing, Mr. Kemal is not here, you can announce your presidential candidacy now. I feel great pain on behalf of my party. When I was painting 'CHP' on walls in this party, Mr. Özgür Özel and those around him were running around in short pants."

News Source: İHA